North West Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
North West Rural Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 9,461 homes in Iowa. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 9.8¢31% below Iowa average
- Typical bill
- $2252,299 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- Never10.1 kW, cash
Export rules for North West Rural Electric Cooperative customers
Full retail net metering (Iowa rule).
Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
Solar for a typical North West Rural Electric Cooperative home
| System | 10.1 kW (50% of 2,299 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $36,325 |
| First-year savings | $1,351 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| 25-year net | −$6,409 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 14
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 9,461
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about North West Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
Does North West Rural Electric Cooperative have net metering?
North West Rural Electric Cooperative follows Iowa's rules: Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
How much does electricity cost with North West Rural Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 9.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 9.8¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 2,299 kWh a month, a bill of about $225.
Is solar worth it with North West Rural Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 10.1 kW system costing about $36,325 does not pay back within 25 years, with −$6,409 net over 25 years.
How many North West Rural Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 14 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: North West Rural Electric Coop (EIA ID 17260). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.